T / all the breakfasts

June 22, 2017 by caitandtiff Leave a comment

I think it’s my favourite meal. No, I know it’s my favourite meal. I document it fairly regularly. It’s a ritual for me. There’s a reason why I hauled a waffle iron back to Cambodia. And went to look for a transformer just so I could use it. I might also search high and low for the best eggs menemen in Istanbul. It took me about 20-ish years to accept the fact that my parents ate rice for breakfast. But when I finally moved continents and understood why, an entirely new world of options opened up to me. And when I got to invade Cait’s life in LA, we made sure a morning at Sqirl (and Dinette!) was a priority. The meal is a goddamn institution for me. I’m also more than a little bit annoyed that I didn’t discover sausage gravy and biscuits until I was 30.

I get that a long sit-down meal at the crack of dawn isn’t quite what people have time for. Heck, I have pre-made breakfast smoothies and cold slices of quiche for five out of seven days of the week. But for the two days I actually get to enjoy the meal, I go a little bit nuts. Particularly when I get to make it myself.

So I assembled the greatest hits for you.

The best breakfast sausage. It makes a kickass homemade Egg McMuffin.
Molly’s bright green sour puffy pancake! Sounds weird. Tastes amazing.
I’m not from the South. I’ve never been to the south. But sausage gravy and these flakey biscuits are something I constantly want.
Oatmeal can also be savoury and not be congee!!
For when I’m feeling healthy.
Or when I’m feeling Russian.
And when I need to feel really stuffed.

If in Istanbul – this place is a must (see above).
My family eats dim sum for lunch but I’m more than happy to have it more traditionally as breakfast.
When in Malaysia, roti canai all the way.
Rice and Pork in Cambodia
Dinette on Tuesday, Sqirl on Wednesday. Gjelina on Thursday. Republique on Friday. That is how you do in LA.
Then fly over to San Francisco for Tartine.
And when in Bangkok.